Washington -- Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress on Tuesday that a criminal investigation of the 2010 BP oil spill is progressing and that he expects to discuss the probe publicly "within months." Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee, Holder also said that his prosecutors are ready to go to trial against BP and other companies connected to massive spill if settlement talks aren't successful.

View full sizeJ. Scott Applewhite, The Associated PressAttorney General Eric Holder discusses the Justice Department's fiscal 2013 budget with the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies committee on Tuesday. February 28 2012

"We are prepared to go to trial," Holder said of the trial that will consider penalties for violation of the Clean Water Act and other federal statutes. "We were ready to go to trial yesterday."

He reiterated that the government has a "strong case."

Holder declined to discuss the settlement talks, which led federal District Judge Carl Barbier to put off this week's scheduled start of what was expected to be a lengthy and highly complicated trial. The trial is now scheduled to start next week, if the talks fail or reach agreement on some but not all of the issues scheduled to be litigated.

Meanwhile, Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, released a letter he sent to Holder and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson asking them to support legislation that would designate 80 percent of the fine money from the Clean Water Act to Louisiana and the other four Gulf states most affected by the spill.

"I thank you for your strong leadership during this crisis and commend your efforts to bring the responsible companies to justice; however, I urge you to make certain that any settlement reached actually reflects the gravity of the harm by returning these penalties to areas that suffered from this disaster," Richmond wrote. "This will ensure the long term health of the Gulf of Mexico, create thousands of new jobs, and provide significant benefits to the local communities impacted by the spill."